Harness Your Holiday Stress This Year

Halloween is over.  November has begun and so has the start of the holiday season.The extra expenses. Angry in-laws. Long hours at the office. Cold weather and seasonal darkness. Exhausted kids.  Recitals. Absent romantic partners. Never-ending Christmas music. Individually, we can handle each of these stressors as they come. But during the holidays, everything seems to hit all at once. Throw in some politics this year and a surprise visit from your hypercritical sister and our fight-or-flight stress response systems are supremely heightened.  

Holiday stress is the worst. But there are things we can do about it.

This season, give yourself and others some grace—a lot of it. Make no mistake: Stressful things will happen. But the exciting thing is we get to choose how to respond to them.

    Set Expectations

        Paint a picture of what you want your Christmas to look like. Be crystal clear.

    Set Boundaries

        Many think others call the shots during the holidays...but this is wrong. You choose. You get to decide where you go, how long you stay there, who you invite into your home, and how much money you’ll spend.

    Avoid Family Conflict

        Before you even pack your bags, think about conflicts that might pop up with family. If your father in law has a pattern of talking bad about a particular group of people, don’t be surprised when he starts one of his rants. You can’t change him—but you can decide how you respond. There are only two things on planet Earth you can control: your thoughts and your actions.

    Focus on Things You Can Control

        If you feel stressed this Christmas, write down the things that are in your control. Take ownership of these things—like buying groceries, getting in a walk, or wrapping presents. Everything else that’s not in your control, like the weather or other people’s reactions to dry turkey, let it go! There’s nothing you can do about them. Focus on your own responsibilities.

    Say NO

        Prioritize your family’s time and only commit to what you want to do. Focus on quality, not quantity.  

    Make a Christmas Budget

        Enough said!

    Get Plenty of Sleep and Exercise

        Nobody wants to be sick at Christmastime—and exercising, getting outside, and resting are all natural immune-boosting activities that will help you feel strong, peaceful, and healthy.

    Schedule Some "Me" Time

        Keep your sanity by scheduling some quiet time to do things you enjoy.

The holidays can be crazy—but we can choose to be gracious and generous with ourselves and our loved ones. All of us here at Carmel Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons are wishing you a stress free holiday season.